A chat with Japan's largest gaming network GREE about Windows Phone

Japanese social gaming giant GREE International made a big splash at E3 this year. Nobody expected a massive booth dedicated to mobile gaming at the console centric show, but GREE’s booth outshined many a console publisher’s. And that’s to say nothing of their party at Club Nokia.

GREE had a strong presence at Casual Connect Seattle as well, though their focus as more on developer relations than showing off an arsenal of quality mobile games. Currently GREE’s ‘platform’ extends only to iOS and Android, but we can’t help wishing for some of their games to land on Windows Phone as well. That’s just one of the things we discussed with Eros Resmini, GREE’s SVP of Developer Relations and Marketing. Video interview after the break!

Eros, one of the founding members of the OpenFeint social platform (acquired by GREE in April 2011) discusses his company’s expansion into the western market, their plans at E3 and Casual Connect, and of course, Windows Phone 8. You won’t find too many gaming executives as articulate and approachable as Eros, so we really enjoyed the conversation. And come on, what a cool name!

Let’s all hope that GREE throws its hat into the Windows Phone arena sooner rather than later. We actually discussed a number of other topics with Eros Resmini as well – stay tuned at sister sites iMore and Android Central for more interview footage.

Reader comments

A chat with Japan's largest gaming network GREE about Windows Phone

No disrespect, but while he has a cool name and makes good games, they're still only on Android and iOS. In the article there is no mention that they intend on making any apps for WP7 or 8, so while they maybe good, I have nothing for them, because as far as I'm concerned, they're one of many companies that are conspiring to kill our platform. If not, what's their reasons for not porting or developing a game for WP? Don't say wating for WP8, because if they were then that insinuates they knew the code changes were coming and should have apps already prepared for WP8, yet the article doesn't say that

Maybe because they don't want to waist time on developing for a platform with no market share and very very few possible customers to make money off of? It's kinda obvious so quit crying because I get the feeling you know why and you just want to bitch.

If you don't use WP, then you have no place in this forum and should make like a tree and leave. Any numbers you can add to you following is worth developing for. Try multiplying 6 million times the rate they charge for an app; especially because it's already developed and wouldn't require major changes. Get a brain!

LastFoiter was kind of rude about it, but he's right. Windows Phone support is not a foregone conclusion. Nobody looks at a tiny installed userbase and goes, "That's where we need to be putting our stuff!" It's contact with Microsoft and other partners that convince early support of new/underdog platforms. As the platform grows, developers and publishers will see the increased userbase and respond accordingly.

It's perfectly acceptable to support Windows Phone and yet be critical of it, by the way. Like any platform, there's plenty of room for improvement. Please be civil to each other (both of yas) and try to understand other people's viewpoints.

I appreciate your courtesy, but as you stated he was very rude. A platform can only grow by having developers who are well known bring their apps to the platform; this is what attracts users. And yeah, we may not be able to attract all android or Apple users to migrate, but as outlined by both MS and Nokia, there's a whole group that needs to upgrade to smart phones (millions) which they are targeting. MD and Nokia has reach out to developers with incentives, free tools, and direct assistance from their technical staffs. When something is new, you don't have a large following from day one in an existing market, it has to grow and takes time. Honestly all of the other platforms, webos, Symbian and even android have not sacrified or given millions away like MS is doing. At any rate, I hope developers will get behind WP and help it grow.

"Conspiring to kill our platform" really? You honestly believe this man has some hidden vendetta to somehow kill off WP by not supporting it? I'm guessing their reasons for not developing for WP is, like Paul already said, due to our comparatively low user base compared to iPhone and Android. Especially considering the undertaking it is to port to WP from those platforms, I'm guessing most companies don't do it because at the end of the day we're such a tiny segment of the smartphone population that it pays off more for them to develop for the other two OS' instead. Yes, though I agree that we need more developers on board in order to gain more support and users, these companies which are "conspiring to kill us" have little to no stake in the success of the WP platform as of this time. It won't be until much later when/if our numbers grow that people will jump up and start developing en masse for us.

While I appreciate your sentiments, as I stated above MS and Nokia have offered great incentives to developers: free technical assistance from their staffs, free and heavily discounted developer tools, as well as monetary incentives. "conspiring to kill" may be too strong of a phrase to use, but I'm in the corporate world and know that companies bribe others to prevent competition. Its just strange that you wouldn't develop for companies that offer so many incentives that include tools, monetary assistance, and technical expertise. And as stated above, if a platform has 6 million users, multiply that by .99 up to 4.99 per download and that adds up to good profit because the app doesn't have to be completely rewritten from the ground up. But it is what it is. I guess MS and Nokia will have to make knockoff apps of the more popular ones on other platforms, otherwise succum to a new phrase, "App prejudice" :-D